Coupler yoke and draft gear assembly



July 14, 1953 H. H. woLr-'E 2,645,361

couPLER YoxE AND DRAFT GEAR ASSEMBLY Filed `Jan. 26, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet l 3 wucmtov /V/V/PRY W04F5,

July 14, 1953 H. H. wou-'E COUPLER YOKE AND DRAFT GEAR ASSEMBLY 3 Sheets-Sheet `2 Filed Jan. 26, 1949 4 July 14, 1953 H.' H.-wo| FE i 2,645,361

COUPLER YOKE AN DRAFT GEAR ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 26, 1949 IS'Sheets-Sheet sa 3mm/wu www,

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Patented July 14, `1953 CoUPLEn Yoke ANDDRAFT `GEAR ASSEMBLY `Harry Wolfe,` Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The Buckeye Steel Castings Company, Columbus,

Ohio

`Application January 26, 1949, Serial No. 72,871

The present invention. relates to a draft gear assembly for couplers of railway vehiclesand the invention more specifically pertains tothe structural features of the yoke in association with an interlocking type coupler so that the forces developed during pull will be transmitted by the yoke through one set of resilient cushions and during buff transmitted by the yoke through another set of resilient elements of the draft gear.

In the railway art an automatic coupler of the interlocking type is well-known. The interlocking coupler is `provided with aligning wings which prevent vertical slippage between two coupier contours and also limits the lateral angling between two engaged couplers. An interlocking coupler accordingly requires provision to be made for the coupler Shanks to 'angle vertically and this is accomplished bythe use of a universal joint between the coupler and the yoke and by` providing additional clearance over the coupler shank. In the use of an interlocking coupler having aligning Wings increased laterally angling is permitted by using a wider striker opening. In such an interlocking coupler thepulling forces are taken through the yoke straps onto the draft gear and the bufling forces are taken through the coupler butt onto the follower and then transmitted to the draft gear.-

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a draft assembly for a coupler of the interlocking type adapted to angle vertically and laterally and so constructed Vthat the forces in pull will be takenv through the yoke straps and imposed upon a plurality of resilient and yieldable mats housed within the yoke and applied to the draft lugs by means of the followerwith the buing forces transmitted through a strut forming a part of the yoke onto the yoke straps and through the butt of the yoke onto additional yieldable and resilient mats in back of theyoke.

A further object of the invention resides in providing a yoke for connecting a coupler to a rubber mat type draft gear so that the forces developed during pull will be applied `through one portion of the draft gear and the forces developed during buff will be transmitted to another portion of the rubber mat assembly.

A more specific object of the inventionpertains to the structure of the yoke which is so designed as to transmit the forces developed during buff and pull in allangled positions of the coupler shank and having all of thebearing surfaces accessible for cleaning and gauging.

A further object of the invention is to so con- Z Claims. Cl.. 213.-46)

struct the coupler shank and the yoke that vertically angling ofthe coupler is permitted and lateral angling is allowed and at the same time adapting the draft attachment formed in part by yieldable and resilient cushion assemblies to substantially conventional type sills.

Other `objects' and 'features of the invention will be more ap-parent to those skilled. in the art as the present disclosure proceeds and upon consideration of the followingdetailed description and the accompanying drawings wherein a typical embodiment 'of the invention is disclosed.

In they drawings:

`liig. 1 is a vertical sectional View of a draft attachment embodying the invention showing the coupler in phantom lines.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a swivel block employed in association with the coupler shank.

Fig. 3 is a Yplan view of the draft attachment partly in horizontal section.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the lined-4 of Fig. 1. v

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the yoke. l

Fig. 6 is a side elevationalview of the yoke.

In a draft appliance for a railway car for a standard swivel type coupler the yoke is pivotally connected to the coupler shank and no vertical angling of the coupler with respect to the yoke is permitted. Any variations in the verticalhei'ghts of the couplers is accommodated between any two couplers by slippage `in the contour. Lateral angling of such a standard swiveled type coupler is made possible by means of the `opening in the striker and the vertical disposition of the swivel pin connection between the coupler shank and Vthe yoke. As distinguished therefrom the present invention is directed to an interlocking type coupler having aligning wings as indicated at I0 and H in Fig. 3. These aligning wings prevent vertical slippagegbetween two coupler contours `and also limitthe lateral angling between two engaged couplers. The present invention is directed to a yoke and draft assembly adapting a cushion type draft gear to such couplers. The draft `appliance hereinafter described makes provision'for vertical and lateral angling of the coupler shank I2.

Referring to the drawings the butt end I4of the coupler shank is provided with a spherical convex surface I5 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. This spherical surface I5 is adapted for cooperation with a correspondingly shaped bearing sur- Y face on the-yoke and the purpose thereof will be more apparent aszat present disclosure proceeds.

A further spherical concave surface I6 is provided within the coupler shank as shown in Fig. l.

A pin receiving opening is provided which extends vertically through the coupler shank for receiving a pin I8 and connecting the coupler -to the yoke indicated generally at 20.

` the gear pocket 25 by means of a vertical member or strut 28. The strut 28 is provided with a spherical surface 3| which is concave and concentric with the curvature of the spherical surface I carried by the butt end I4 of the coupler shank. The nose portions 33 and 34 of the yoke are also tied together by vertically disposed tie members 36 and 31. These tie members are so l constructed and arranged as to permit full lateral angling of the coupler during fore and aft movements of the coupler and yoke. The yoke is also provided withan opening 38 in the upper nose portion and an opening 39 in the'lower nose portion. The openings 38 and 39 are in alignment for receiving the pin I3. Apertures 2B arealso formed in the sides of the yoke head. These apertures permit access to the inner portion of the yoke for cleaning, or grinding the bearing surfaces of the yoke.

The draft appliance includes a follower 4| as shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 3. A resilient mat type draft gear is housed within the yoke between the follower 4I and the butt 24 of the yoke. This resilient assembly is of the type comprising rubber mats laminated with metal and is indicated generally at 42. The draft sills 44 and 45 are of a conventional type and the front draft lugs 46 and 41 are attached to the striker 48 in the usual manner. The striker is provided with a relatively large opening 5| permitting lateral and vertical angling of the coupler. The follower 4I is adapted to engage the front draft lugs 45 and 4'l'andtransmit the pulling force to the draft sills of the railway car.

The striker 48 is provided with a spring supported coupler carrier 53 which permits vertical angling of the coupler shank. A yoke carrier 54 is also provided with supports and retains the pin I8 in operative association with the yoke and the rear end' of the coupler shank. A wear plate 5E may be provided over the yoke as shown in Figs. l and 4.

The connection between the coupler shank I2 and the yoke 20 includes a swivel block 58 which is provided with a spherical convex surface 59. This spherical surface is concentric with the spherical bearing surface I6 provided within the rear end of the coupler shank. A hemi-cylindrical shaped surface 6| is formed in the forward portion of the swivel block 58 and this arcuate surface is adapted to engage and partially embrace the pin I8 in amanner as shown in Fig. 3. Thus during the development of pulling forces the coupler shank I2 tends to move forwardly and thek spherical surface I6 engages the convex spherical surface 59 on the swivel block 58 and moves this block member forwardly. The' forward concave hemi-cylindrical surface 6| on the swivel block then bears on the pin I8. The forces developed during pull are then transmitted through the pin IB onto the yoke 20 and through the yoke straps 2| and 22 to the butt 24. The rubber mat assembly 42 is interposed between the butt end 24 and the follower 4| so that the pulling forces .are thereby applied to the rubber type mat gear and impressed on the follower 4I.

The follower 4| engages the draft lugs 46 and 41 Y to thereby transmit the pulling forces to the railway car. It will be observed that the pulling Vforces are transferred to the pin I8 regardless of any angled position .off the 'coupler shank since the concave spherical surface i6 within the coupler shank constantly cooperates with the con-r shown) engages ya xed portion of the draft apthe coupler pliance. During bufng action shank I2 tends to move rearwardly. The convex spherical surface I5 provided on the butt end I4 of the coupler shank engages the concave spherical surface 3| provided on the strut 28 of thev yoke. Since the bearing surfaces at the rear end of the coupler shank are spherical the forces developed during buff are evenly distributed onto the strut 28 regardless cf the angle of the coupler shank within the confines of the striker opening 5|. The buing forces are thereby transmitted through the strut 2B onto the yoke straps 2| and 22, through the butt 24 onto the six laminated rubber mats arranged rearwardly of the yoke. The laminated resilient mat assembly 42 housed within the gear pocket 25 of the yoke -20 accordingly does not function during buff.` It will be observed that the rear surface I2 on the strut 28 is. so positioned as to be slightly forward ofthe draft lugs 46 and 4l in the'normal position so that the rubber draft gear assembly 42 may expand slightly when the yoke 2|J moves rearwardly during bufng action. It will be further observed that none of the buffing forces are taken or transmitted through the pin I8. This advantageous feature is accomplished by relieving the forward end of the pin opening I'I in the coupler shank |2 as indicated at 'I4 in Fig. l, and by boring Vthe pin receiving openings 38 and 39 in the yoke with particular reference to the spherical bearing surface 3| on the strutZB.

While the invention has been described with reference to specific structural features of thevarious elements of thedraft appliance, it is apparent that changes may` be made in a number of these members. Such modifications and alterations in the general organization may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. Y

WhatfI claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a railway draft appliance, a yoke including a butt and yoke straps extending forwardly from the butt, a vertically disposed strut rigidly connected to the forward ends of the yoke straps, a resilient front draft gear between said yoke straps Vabutting said. yoke butt at its rear end, sills and front draft lugs carried thereby adjacent the strut with rear surfaces of the lugs slightly rearward of a rear face of said strut, a follower-engaging a forward end of said front draft gear and overlapping said front draft lugs, nose portions integral with the yoke extending forwardly of said strut, each of said nose portions having. a vertically disposed opening therethrough, a sphericalconcave surfacev in a fortending through the openings in said nose por-- tions and the opening in said coupler shank, a concave spherical surface within the butt end of the coupler rearward of the opening in the coupler shank and forwardly of the convex butt end surface, a bearing block having a convex spherical surface concentric with the concave spherical surface within the end of the coupler shank, a hemi-cylindrical surface on the forn ward portion of the bearing block partly embracing said pin whereby the coupler may angle horizontally and vertically and draft forces are transmitted onto the bearing block and the pin and the yoke straps and the front draft gear and the follower onto the front draft lugs in all horizontal and vertical angled positions of the coupler shank, said opening in the coupler shank being relieved forwardly of the pin to permit rearward movement of the coupler shank relating to the yoke and bearing engagement of the spherical convex butt end on the coupler shank with the spherical concave surface on the strut,

a resilient rear draft gear having its forward end in abutting relationship with said yoke butt -V whereby buning forces are transmitted onto the strut and through the yoke straps onto the rear draft gear to relieve said pin of buffing forces in horizontal and vertical angled positions of the coupler shank.

2. In a railway draft appliance, a yoke including a butt and yoke straps extending forwardly from the butt, a rigid vertically disposed strut connecting the forward ends of the yoke straps and integral therewith, a resilient front draft gear between said yoke straps abutting said yoke butt at its rear end, sills and front draft lugs carried thereby adjacent a rear face of said strut, a follower in back of the strut engaging a forward end of said front draft gear for contacting said front draft lugs, nose portions integral with the yoke extending forwardly of said strut, each of said nose portions having a vertically 6 disposed opening therethrough, a spherical ooncave surface in a forward portion of the strut, a coupler shank having a vertically disposed opening therethrough, a spherical convex butt end surface on the coupler shank concentric with and adapted to engage said spherical ooncave surface on said strut, a vertically arranged pin extending through the openings in said nose portions and the opening in said coupler shank, a forward facing concave spherical surface within the butt end of the coupler defining a rear wall of a cavity rearwardly of the opening in the coupler shank, a bearing block having a rearwardly facing convex spherical surface con? centric with the concave spherical surface within the end of the coupler shank, a concave hemicylindrical front surface on the bearing block partly embracing said pin whereby the coupler mayangle horizontally and vertically and draft forces are transmitted onto the bearing block and the pin and the yoke straps and said front draftgear and the follower onto the front draft lugs in all horizontal and vertical angled positions ofthe coupler shank, said opening in the coupler shank being relieved forwardly of the pin to permit rearward movement of the coupler shank in relation to the yoke and bearing engagement of the spherical convex butt end surface on the coupler shank with the spherical concave surface on the strut, a resilient rear draft gear having its forward end in abutting relationship with the yoke butt whereby buing forces are transmitted onto the strut and through the yoke straps onto the rear draft gear to relieve said pin of buiing forces in horizontal and vertical angled positions of the coupler shank.

HARRY I-I.` WOLFE.

References Cited in the file V0f this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

